Stand Still, Look Pretty
by Recovering4life
Summary: "Sometimes darlin', the only thing you can do to protect yourself and this club is to stand still and look pretty." It was the only piece of advice Emily Teller could think of as he breathed down her neck. Gemma's words played over and over in her head as she closed her eyes. No one was coming to help her and the only thing she could do was to stand still, look pretty...Jax/OC...
1. Prolog: Whiskey Lullaby

**Author's Note: **

**Thank you to all who take the time to read this story and leave a comment! This is my first Sons of Anarchy story and I will try to pay close attention to the detail. Please let me know if I screw any of those details up. This is the first story in a trilogy of three and it will follow season one pretty closely. **

**All errors are my own:( Sorry!**

**Enjoy! **

**R4L**

* * *

"…_She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger  
And finally drank away his memory  
Life is short but this time it was bigger  
Than the strength she had to get up off her knees  
We found her with her face down in the pillow  
Clinging to his picture for dear life  
We laid her next to him beneath the willow  
While the Angels sang a whiskey lullaby…"_

"Whiskey Lullaby" - Brad Paisley ft. Allison Krause

**Prolog: Whiskey Lullaby**

_August 15th…_

At sixteen, Emily Powell had learned a thing or two about timing. In truth, she always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The product of divorced parents, she'd always known that her mother disapproved of her father's lifestyle. An outlaw biker and a member of the Sons of Anarchy, Gavin Powell had never truly found a balance between the club and his family life. Emily could still remember the bitter fights and screaming matches between them. Gavin and Sarah Powell would yell and scream at each other for hours and the end result was often her mother in tears and her father leaving to go to the club house to drink, smoke or sleep with whatever girl he could find. She spent many nights locked away in her bedroom trying to forget the violent sounds of her parents arguing. For the first ten years of her life, Emily had gone through the sick cycle over and over again until Gavin had caught Sarah cheating on him with a family friend. A speedy divorce had followed and Gavin had left Charming to join the Nomad Charter leaving her alone with her mother. In the chaos of the seperation, Sarah had turned to alcohol to try and solve her problem.

It had been heart breaking, Emily reflected as she walked up the steps of the small house her mother rented with her second husband, Richard Smith. Sarah and Gavin had barely been divorced six months when Emily had learned that Sarah was remarrying a lumber worker. Emily had been yanked out of SAMCRO so quickly and was forbid from seeing anyone in the biker gang. Her mother had even forbid her from seeing her own godmother, Gemma Teller-Morrow. Craftily, Emily found other ways to see Gemma, but it wasn't the same as seeing everyone else.

Deeply religious, Richard Smith had taken an instant dislike to her when he'd found out that her father had been of Jewish decent. He often ignored her, treated her badly and had promised the moment she turned eighteen that she'd be moving out. Emily had tried to tell Sarah what was happening with Richard, but as usual, her mother could find no faults in her second "perfect" husband as she drank herself into oblivion. She couldn't help but scoff at the idea that Richard Smith was "perfect". Emily knew for a fact that he had several women on the side. She'd seen him before with a mysterious red head and out of fear of what he'd do to her, she hadn't told anyone.

Taking her keys out of her jean short's pocket, she slipped the key into the lock of the front door. Turning it, the door swung open and she stepped into the narrow foyer. The house was eerily silent as she closed the door behind her.

"Mom?" Emily called as she looked around the living room, "Mom?"

The kitchen, dining room and basement were also empty as she looked around. With a frown, Emily went up the stairs quickly and opened her bedroom door. Dropping her backpack and keys down on the bed and dresser respectively, she opened the window to let the light, late summer breeze in. Turning and walking back out of her room, Emily walked to the end of the hall and paused. There had once been a time when she'd been encouraged to come to her parent's room. For all her father's faults, Gavin had loved to hug her and hold her. Almost every Sunday afternoon, they would cuddle up together in her parent's big bed and watch a movie. They were some of her happiest memories and when Sarah had remarried Richard, Emily had been forbid from entering their room, even if she needed help. Taking a deep breath and knocking on the door, Emily waited. No response came and when she knocked again, she held her breath.

"Mom?" she called out after a few minutes of waiting, "Mom? Are you in there?"

Puckering her lips, Emily tried to think of where her mother could have been. Both Sarah and Richard's cars were in the driveway and it was obvious that they were home. Taking a deep breath, Emily reached out for the door handle and prayed silently that they weren't inside the room. She wasn't in the mood for another one of Richard's lectures about "honoring one's parents". Half the time he lectured her, Emily wanted to yell at him that she wasn't his daughter. The other half of the time, she wanted to run away to Gemma and beg to live with the SAMCRO Queen.

Turning the knob and pushing the door open, Emily stepped into the room and froze. A scream lodged itself in her throat as she took in the sight before. Richard Smith was face down on the bed with multiple gunshot wounds to his back and head. Next to the bed, her mother's slumped form was on the ground. The back of her head was gone and blood splattered everything around her. A gun lay not too far from her body. Covering her mouth her hand, Emily let out a scream of horror as she backed out of the room. Without even thinking, she ran. She ran down the hallway, down the stairs and out the front door without even closing the door behind her.

* * *

From Richard Smith's house to Teller-Morrow Garage, it was nearly two miles. Jogging into the lot, Emily nearly collapsed as she reached the office door. Gemma was on the phone with someone and hung up almost instantly seeing her.

"Baby?" she asked with a frown as she stood up and looked at her critically.

"M-m-my m-m-mom," Emily said, her voice breaking, "She and Richard…they're…they're…"

A wave of tears hit her hard and Emily felt herself being guided to a chair. Gemma was calling for someone, but she barely heard. Adrenaline was wearing off, and shock was setting in. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking as Gemma kneeled down in front of her, telling her to be calm while trying to coax her to breathe. Her chest felt like it was constricting as Emily tried to do what Gemma said. It wasn't working and she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Clay walked in a moment later with Tig and Chibs. Words were again exchanged and they left quickly. Not knowing what was happening; Emily looked at Gemma, feeling a panic attack coming on.

"Where-where-where are they g-g-going?" she stuttered as she tried to stop her body from trembling.

"Shh," Gemma whispered, "Everything is gonna be okay. Clay took a few guys to go see what happened at your house."

"They're dead!" Emily cried, "T-t-they're both dead. I-I-I think m-m-mom killed him!"

Gemma didn't say anything, but pulled the near hysterical girl into her arms. Rocking her, Emily calmed down slowly to the point where her tears had subsided and she was calming down.

"Everything is gonna be alright, baby," Gemma told her softly as she gently rubbed her back, "You're gonna be just fine. I promise, baby."

Before Emily could say anything in response, the sounds of bikes tearing into the lot echoed and within a few minutes, Clay was gently knocking on the door to the office. Gemma called out for him to enter and he did with a solemn faced Tig and a quiet Chibs.

"Gemma," he said quietly, "We gotta talk outside before Unser gets here."

Gently caressing Emily's hair as the teenager nodded at the matriarch of SAMCRO.

"I'll be fine," Emily told her softly as her voice slightly cracked as she stood up, "Go."

Gemma didn't look at all convinced, but after a moment she stood up and left with Clay. In the silence of the office, reality seemed to slowly sink into Emily's mind as she looked around. Both her parents were gone and a fresh wave of sadness hit her full force as the office door swung open. Tara Knowles stumbled in the office and barely looked around her before she started talking.

"Did you hear the news? There's a murder-suicide at the Smith house. Does Emily—"

Tara's words triggered a fresh wave of tears. Emily howled in pain as the dam she'd put up carefully to prevent more tears broke. Collapsing back down onto the chair she'd been sitting in with Gemma, as the family matriarch herself came barreling back into the office.

"Would you get her the hell out of here!?" Gemma snapped angrily as she pointed a manicured nail at Tara, "For Christ's sake, get out! Get Tara out of here, Jax!"

Clay must have heard the commotion from outside as he stepped back into the office. Seeing a hysterical Emily, he picked up the young girl as Tig showed up at the door with the keys to Gemma's Caddy. He quickly carried her across the lot to the car as Unser and a few other police patrol cars showed up.

"Not today, Wayne," Gemma told the aging police chief with her hands on her hips, "I know that you wanna talk to Emily, but that's not happening."

Unser and Gemma looked over and watched as Clay settled Emily into the backseat of the black car.

"She's not taken the news well, is she?"

Gemma rolled her eyes behind her designer shades and shook her head, "What do you think, Wayne? Her mother just shot her stepfather dead and killed herself. Is Emily supposed to be walking around with a smile on her face like everything is alright in the world?"

Unser didn't get a chance to say anything else as Gemma stalked off to the Caddy. Clay was already in the driver's seat of the cage and Gemma climbed into the backseat with Emily. Chibs came out of the clubhouse with what looked like a medical bag of some kind. The Scot slipped into the passenger seat quickly before Clay tore out of the lot.

* * *

_August 20th..._

Jax stood tall with his cut on as he watched Emily stand solemnly next to her aunt. Her reddish-brown hair was pulled back into a loose French braid. Makeup had been lightly applied to her face, but he could still see hints of red. It was obvious that she'd been crying and Jax didn't blame her. Emily had lost her mother in the most violent way possible. He had heard rumors that Gavin Powell had been considering getting back with his ex-wife, Emily's mother, but no one would ever know the truth. Gavin had been killed in a shootout with the Mayans in Tacoma while he was with the nomad charter. In a little more than a year, Emily had lost both her parents and Jax knew she had every right to cry. Lying side by side in the same cemetery, Jax could only image that she was reminded of both her losses as Sarah was laid next to Gavin Powell. Gemma wrapped an arm around her goddaughter, but Emily shook it off and turned away. Seeing her shaking shoulders, Jax moved to follow Emily, but Chibs stopped him.

"Let her go, brutha," the Scots man said quietly, "Let her go."

Giving Emily's retreating form one last glance, Jax watched as she slipped into the back of the limo the funeral home provided before he turned back and watched the rest of the service. The casket was lowered into the ground and slowly, the crowd dispensed around him. Gemma stopped in front of him with a sad look on her face before she gave him a brief hug. Hugging her back, Jax released her when she pulled away.

"I'm gonna go check on Emily," she told him before looking at Chibs, "God only knows that poor girl is going through shit."

"Where's she gonna live now that Sarah and Gavin are gone?" Jax asked with a frown.

"Her Aunt Effie is gonna look after her for the next few days. God only knows how much longer that woman has to live. Her four pack-a-day habit has finally caught up with her. She told me yesterday that she's got cancer," Gemma scoffed, "The only comfort I've got is when Effie dies, the cancerous bitch is leaving everything to Emily."

"Jesus Christ," Chibs mumbled softy, "Emily just can't catch a break, can she?"

"No, she can't. I've got to go check on her. I'll see you later."

With a nod, Jax watched her go as Chibs let out a deep breath.

"First Gavin is killed, now Sarah is dead. Shite, at least Gavin left her money. Sarah left her with jack."

"Tell me about," Jax said taking out his carton of cigarettes from his cut, "Mom told me that the house is a mess and Unser told her that the house should just be torn down or sold. There's no way in hell Emily will ever set foot in that house again. She's been having me and Ope clean it out. Emily has been going through it in Clay's garage at home. Apparently, she's selling most of the stuff."

"Can you blame her?" Chibs questioned as he took out his own carton of cigarettes.

"No," Jax mumbled as he lit up, "The house was a dump and it's covered in brain matter. I wouldn't want anything in that house either."

* * *

_September 30th..._

It had been over a month since the funeral of Sarah Powell-Smith and Jax hadn't seen much of Emily. She'd been staying with her Aunt and Clay had even admitted to him that Gemma had spent a few nights with Emily at Effie's house. According to Gemma, Emily hadn't been sleeping well and was exhausted. Charming High School had decided to let Emily apply for graduation early it seemed and Jax was impressed that at sixteen, Emily had finished all her high school credits and was willing to let her go. They had barely let him graduate the spring before.

Slipping into the T&M office, Jax was surprised to find Emily seated in a chair in front of the desk with his mother. Gemma stopped talking to her the moment she saw him and stood up.

"You need something?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Got paperwork for you," Jax replied as he held up the clipboard that he'd been carrying around.

Emily looked over her shoulder at him and Jax could tell Gemma hadn't been exaggerating when she said Emily was exhausted. Dark circles marred the skin under her dark chocolate eyes and her normally sun kissed skin looked pale.

"You're busy," Emily said quietly, "I should go."

Gemma tried to stop her, but Emily was too quick. Passing by Jax quickly, Emily didn't spare the older man a glance before she stepped out into the warm California sunshine. The door slammed shut behind her and Gemma sighed tiredly as she reached for her carton of cigarettes.

"What was that about?" Jax asked as he dropped the paperwork he'd brought on the desk, "Everything alright with Emily?"

"I should have never let Sarah take her away," Gemma snapped before she lit up, "We're the only family she's ever had and I'm not losing her again."

"What's going on?"

"Effie is dying of cancer. Doctors told her she's got six months to live."

"Jesus Christ," Jax mumbled as he ran his fingers through his hair, "You only said a month ago that Effie had just told you."

"Yeah, that dumb gash forgot to mention that it's stage four. Emily found out because the doctor called and left a voicemail on the answer machine. She's barely seventeen and she's worried about what to do and how to play for food, gas and the bills."

"What'd you tell her?"

"I offered her a job. She'd work here with me in the office. I need some help and she's perfect for the job," Gemma stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world before she offered Jax the cigarette carton.

"What does Clay think about that?" Jax asked as he slipped one out and reached for his lighter.

"He's on board. Everyone is on board whether they like it or not. Emily is gonna need all the goddamned support she can get right now. Now, what's the paperwork you have for me?"

* * *

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	2. One: Ride

**Author's Note: **

**Oh my goodness! Thank you to everyone for the responses! I'm so amazed that so many people started following this story! I'm so glad that you're all liking the story! I will answer all your reviews at the bottom! Enjoy this chapter! There is some adult content so be warned!**

**ALSO, THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED EVERY FRIDAY! **

**ALL ERRORS ARE MY OWN:( SORRY!**

**R4L**

* * *

"…_I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast  
I am alone in the night  
Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I  
I've got a war in my mind  
So, I just ride  
Just ride, I just ride, I just ride…"_

~ "Ride" – Lana Del Rey

**Chapter One: Ride**

_Six Years Later…_

_Monday...July 15__th__ …_

At twenty-two, Emily thought she was finished with babysitting and taking care of children. Walking through the club house determinedly, prospects, club members and hang arounds all dodged out of the way. She wasn't pleased and she knew that they could see it clearly on her face. Turning down the hallway that led to the dorm rooms, Emily walked to the third door and paused.

It had been six months since Tara Knowles had skipped out of Charming. In her wake, she'd she left Jax an absolute mess and the only solution he'd found was to drown himself in weed, pussy and booze. Emily knew that Gemma was sympathetic to her son and the Sons were giving him space, but it had been six months and Emily was sick to death of Jax being late for his shift in the garage and she was sick to death of covering for his ass.

Raising her fist and knocking as loud as she could, Emily called his name. Loud rock music blared from the other side of the door and Emily knocked again. With no answer the second time, Emily put her hands on her hips and stared at the door. Waiting only a moment, Emily jumped when she heard Tig's voice.

"Need something, Doll?"

Turning to look at the dark haired man, Emily narrowed her eyes, "Jax is late for work Tiggy…as usually."

"He's got pussy in there," Tig grinned, "Hot pussy that no man wants to abandon."

"I'll show him hot pussy," Emily mumbled before grabbing the door knob and tossing the door open.

The door slammed against the wall and Emily felt her eyes go as wide as saucers. Not only did Jax have one crow eater with him, but two. It was obvious that Jax was balls deep in crow eater pussy while the other crow eater alternated between licking the other crow's clit and Jax's balls when she could. Tig's maniacal laughter snapped everyone out of it and Jax swung around to look at her. There eyes met briefly and Jax swore. In an instant, he was out of the whore and grabbing for something that could use to cover himself with.

At twenty-four, Jax had an impressive body. A tight ass that could make any girl faint was only enhanced by a sculpted torso and strong arms. Wide, broad shoulders tapered down into narrow hips and long, muscular legs that could get any girls blood pumping. Emily couldn't ignore the fact that from the little she'd seen of Jax's package before he turned away, it was obvious the man was hung as well and packing. Jax was like a living and breathing, goddamned Greek Warrior and he knew it. With only a pillow covering him, Jax turned around and looked at her with a fierce scowl marring his handsome face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded angrily as the two naked girls on the bed looked at Emily and echoed his words.

"It is 9:30 in the morning, Jax," Emily announced as she crossed her arms over her chest and ignored the two whores, "You're late, again, for work and I cannot keep covering your ass. Get out to the garage and start working before I go find Gemma and unleash her on you. We both know what she's like when people don't show up on time. Besides, it won't matter that you're her son. I'll make sure of that."

Tig only laughed harder at Emily's threat, but everyone knew Gemma could easily be pissed off if someone was late to their shift. It didn't matter who, someone was getting their ass served to them on a platter.

"The party is over girls," Emily said, turning towards the crow eaters, "Please remove your skanky asses from the bed before I remove them for you and trust me when I say this, I won't be nice about it."

The two crow eaters must have heard the warning in her tone because they were quickly getting up and grabbing their clothes. The two girls quickly pushed past Emily on their way out and Tig followed them with an arm around each of their shoulders. Emily didn't listen to what he said as she stood staring at Jax. She shook her head and let out a sigh.

"I know you're hurting," she told him quietly, "I know that you miss…Tara. It's written everywhere. You may not see it, but I do. Jax, you're hitting the self-destruct button. I've been…I don't know what I am to you. A friend, I guess. I've been a good person to you and I've covered for you when you fail to show up. I've spent plenty of nights making sure that you don't choke on your own vomit because you're wasted and passed out. Jax, I'm done doing that. I am not covering for you anymore. It's time to grow up and move on with your life. I'm sorry to be harsh, but someone has to be. Tara is gone and she's not coming back."

"Emily—"

"I'm done and you're late for work. There's a car that needs new breaks and you better be done with it in the next hour or there will be hell to pay," she snapped at him before turning and walking back down the hallway.

She was so done with Jax Teller. As handsome as he might be, Emily knew that Jax was also a pain in the ass when he wanted to be and at that moment, Jax Teller was being a handsome pain in her ass.

* * *

_Tuesday…July 16__th__…_

It was 8:55 in the morning when Jax stepped into the office to clock in. Emily watched him from her place behind the desk as she tried not to make any eye contact and kept her head down. The images she'd seen the morning before were scared into her memory. She was sure that she'd never be able to erase what she'd seen. The morning before had also made her painfully aware of her own status as a single woman who wasn't having sex. She'd spent half the night before tossing and turning in bed, trying to get the image of a naked Jax Teller out of her head before she'd finally given up and had taken several cold showers to soothe the fires Jax had unintentionally created in her.

Emily only prayed that the fires continued to simmer because Gemma would be a dog with bone when she found out that her goddaughter had the hots for her only son. It was probably Gemma's fantasy that they get together and have cute, blond haired, blue eyed babies. The sound Jax clearing his throat forced Emily to look up at him and she felt her cheeks turned red.

"Yeah?" she asked sounding a little short.

"I, uh, was hoping we could talk about what when down yesterday," Jax said as he sat down in the chair across from her, "I'm—"

"Don't," Emily interrupted him, "Don't say you're sorry to me. I don't care that you're playing Russian roulette with STDs. I don't care what you do in your spare time. Hell, I don't care who you sleep with Jax. What I do care about is preserving my ass from being beaten by Gemma and that means that when she entrusts me to get things done, they get done. Part of those things getting done means that cars have to get fixed and in order for cars to be fixed, mechanics have to be presents. So, when you're scheduled to work Jax, please just show up. The only apology I will accept is you showing up on time when you're supposed to work. Got it?"

A sexy grin graced Jax's face and Emily felt that fires she'd been trying to cool all night come alive again. She'd always had a soft spot for Jax for as long as she'd known him and as her heart leapt up into her throat, she could barely breathe. There was just something about Jax that had always drawn her in and ever since her mother had died and Emily had begun to spend much more time around the club. She'd always felt some kind of pull to Jax. They'd always gotten along and maybe, in some weird dimension, they could be called friends. No matter what their status was, Emily had always felt a pull towards Jax and that pull had only gotten stronger in the years that she'd been reunited with the club. Telling herself it was only because she hadn't had sex in over a year, Emily shook her and grabbed the clipboard of backlogged paperwork that was Jax's.

"This is yours," she told him, "All the incomplete paperwork and shit that you've fallen behind on. I would be very grateful if you had this finished by the end of today."

With the same sexy grin in place, Jax stood up, "Yes, ma'am."

Something about the way he looked and the way he said "ma'am" made Emily snap. Throwing the chipboard at him, Emily narrowed her eyes when he caught it with ease.

"Get out of here," she snapped, "You have work to do!"

Jax didn't say another word as he silently slipped out of the office. Running her fingers through her reddish brown hair, Emily sighed. It wasn't even nine am and she wanted to go home and take another cold shower.

* * *

It was nearly nine o'clock in the evening when Emily got home to the large farm house her aunt had left her. Two stories, the house was neatly seated back in the woods with a large lake and dock behind it. Secluded and private, Emily had enjoyed getting to redecorate and remodel the house just the way she liked. The house had a superb kitchen that even made Gemma jealous. There were three bedrooms and a spacious master bedroom and bathroom. The house was indeed a little gem and Emily's favorite part was the wraparound screen porch that faced the lake and the setting sun. There was nothing like getting to curl up in one of the wicker chairs with a cup of tea and watch the sun set.

Putting her key in the lock, she was startled to find that the lock was unlocked. Slowly turning the door knob and walking into the dark house, Emily nearly screamed when she walked into someone.

"Whoa! Babe!"

A strong pair of arms grabbed her and Emily froze in her place. The lights were flipped on and she looked at the one man she didn't want to see ever again. Tall, with piercing grey eyes and short brown hair, Doug Masters was a handsome man. Being handsome, however, didn't make up for the violent temper that Emily knew laid beneath the exterior. A local business owner in Charming, it was a well-kept secret that Doug Masters was a sadistic asshole. Abusive and mean, Emily had made the mistake of dating him for a while when she'd turned twenty. Now, two years later, Doug was still harassing her and his behave often bordered on stalking. Emily had never told the club about Doug because she was sure he'd end up in some ditch with one of Tig's bullets in his head and she didn't want to be responsible for one of the guys doing twenty-five to life for murder on her behalf. A smile that made Emily's skin craw appeared on Doug's face as he dropped down and tried to kiss her cheek.

"Did you have a good day at work?" he asked her, trying to take her purse off her shoulder. Emily knew resistance was futile and so she let him take her bag. Staring at him and trying to come up with a response, Emily nearly jumped when Doug grabbed her arm and practically pulled her to the dining room. A candle lit dinner had been laid out consisting of her favorite meal, but Emily felt sick to her stomach. Yanking her arm away from Doug, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What are doing here?" she demanded as she rubbed the spot he'd just held on her arm, "How the hell did you get in here?"

A frown marred Doug's handsome face. He crossed his arms over his chest and Emily could see she'd offended him.

"You don't like it, do you?"

"I don't like the fact you broke into my house!" she nearly shouted at him, "Get out, Doug!"

It had been the wrong response to him and Emily could see it in his eyes. Something had snapped and it was like unleashing the Hulk. Quickly walking around the table so there was something between them, Emily ducked at the China dish Doug threw at her. The dish shattered against the wall and Emily stared at the stained cream color wall in shock. Doug had always hit her, never had he thrown anything at her. Emily wasn't prepared for when he grabbed her. In a second, her instincts kicked and she shoved him away from her as hard as she could. What Emily wasn't prepared for was the momentum of being shoved back.

Her cheek connected with the corner of the dining room table and Emily felt pain radiate everywhere. Doug grabbed her again and hauled her to her feet. She could hear him apologizing over and over again, but her ears were ringing. Shoving him away from her again, Emily tried to find the backing of a chair to hang on to. She felt dizzy and when Doug grabbed her for a third time, she didn't stop herself from clawing him in the face with her nails.

He howled in pain and let go of her immediately. The satisfaction that Emily felt in drawing blood from his face was short lived. She felt the right hook to her cheek before she ever saw his fist. Black dots spotted her vision and she fell down to the floor. Doug was yelling at her, but that same ringing in her ears had returned. Emily was so tired of fighting with him. She was tired of the abuse and the blows that she didn't know what else to do. Sitting on the floor and resting the side of her head against the chair, she let him rant and rave until he kicked her hard in the side. Huddling over and holding her ribs, Emily nearly burst into tears of relief when he final left. He threw and broke things on his way out and when she heard the door slam shut, Emily breathed a painful sigh of relief.

Not bothering to look around at what he'd broken, she went to the stairs and quickly retreated to her bedroom. Locking the door behind her and going to the bathroom, Emily looked at her face in the mirror. Swollen and purple, the bruise was an angry mark. A small, bloody mark on the other cheek was a testament to her hitting the table with brute force. Quickly stripping down, Emily turned to the side. Bruises were already forming from where Doug had kicked her. It ached, but she was sure that Doug hadn't cracked or broken her ribs. He'd probably bruised them if the pain she felt breathing was any indication.

Turning away from the double sink, Emily quickly turned the water on for a hot bath. Pouring a generous amount of lavender scented oil into the bath and getting in, Emily closed her eyes as the water filled up the oversized whirlpool, claw foot tub. In her head, she was already planning what lie she'd tell Gemma about the bruises. She'd come up with something convincing and make sure that she applied lots of makeup to hide the marks. Emily knew that if anyone in the club found out about Doug and the abuse, there would be a stake out and murder on her front porch. She knew that the Sons were outlaws and gunrunners. She knew what went on and she knew what the Sons were a part of. She'd always know what her father did as a Son and Emily had long since accepted that the same outlaw blood of her father was in her veins. However, the last thing she wanted was a dead man in her living room and buried somewhere on her property. Knowing Chibs and Tig, that would be exactly what would happen if they caught Doug beating up on her again.

A thought floated into Emily's head and her eyes flashed open. Sitting up and looking around the bathroom, Emily silently wondered what Jax would say if he could see her now.

What would Jax do to Doug if he knew the truth about the abuse?

* * *

_Wednesday…July 17__th__…_

Emily breathed a sigh of relief as she walked into TM's office at nine o'clock on the dot. She'd spent extra time putting makeup on this morning and as a result, she'd been late leaving her house. Quickly clocking in, Emily turned and nearly screamed as she walked into Gemma. Putting a hand over her heart, Emily sighed as she dropped her bag down next to her.

"Gemma," she breathed, "You scared me the hell out of me."

"Did I?" the Queen of Charming asked with a raised brow, "Why are you late?"

"I'm not!" Emily defended quickly, "It's nine o'clock! I'm here right on time like I should be."

Gemma took her own sunglasses off and raised a perfectly arched brow. Sinking down into a desk chair, Emily stared back at her godmother praying that she couldn't see the bruises. Her only hope was that if she acted like nothing had happened the night before, Gemma wouldn't suspect anything. Watching the older woman sit down, Emily breathed sigh of relief when the phone rang.

Her relief, however, was short lived. Gemma ignored the phone call as she continued to stare at her. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Emily leaned back in her own chair and listened to the phone ring. After a minute, the phone stopped. Gemma grabbed her purse and took out a compact.

"You missed a spot," she said, "On the side of your neck."

Emily's hands flew up to her neck and she winced feeling exactly what Gemma was talking about. Staring at the compact in Gemma's outstretched hand; Emily took it and opened the lid. Holding the compact up and looking the mirror was simple. What wasn't so simple was trying to figure out how she'd missed the bruise. As if Gemma could read her thoughts, the Queen of Charming sighed.

"Were you so worried about your face that you forgot your neck?" she asked, "It sure looks that way, sweetheart."

Dabbing some of the creamy foundation on her fingertips, Emily applied the makeup as Gemma stood and locked both doors to the office before returning back to her seat. In silence, Emily dabbed and applied the makeup as best she could on her neck.

"You gonna tell me how the hell that happened and why the hell you were trying to hide it from me?" Gemma asked with a raised brow.

Closing the compact, Emily handed it back to Gemma before sighing and smoothing her ponytail.

"Doug was waiting for me at my house last night," Emily said, deciding it was probably best not to lie, "He showed up with dinner and everything. We got into a fight and he left. I'm fine, Gemma. There is nothing to worry about."

With a snort, Gemma stood up and grabbed her purse. Riffling through the bag before giving a small moan of satisfaction, Emily felt her eyes go wide seeing a gun. Gemma held the Beretta in her hand and held it out.

"Something to defend yourself with the next time this guy...Doug...comes around," Gemma told her with a small smile, "Don't feed me a line of bullshit that you're alright. You and I both know that Doug is a goddamned creep and this is your solution, baby. This isn't the first time I've seen you with bruises and I hope to God that it's the last."

Taking the gun, Emily felt the familiar weight and quickly slipped it into her purse. She'd always known about gunrunning and Gemma had made sure that she knew how a gun worked so that she'd never be defenseless. Staring down at the potentially lethal chunk of metal, Emily couldn't help but feel anxious. It had been a long time since she'd fired a gun or even held one. There was only one person Emily even felt remotely comfortable with asking for help. She also knew the one person who would help her, would also keep her secrets safe.

Tig Trager…

* * *

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**Guest #3: **Thank you for the review! I'm so glad you liked the start of the story! Yes, I have a whole trilogy planned for Emily and Jax. Most of this story is already written and will follow closely with the events of season one. There will be a total of 24 chapters and the first few will take place before season one. More is on the way!:)

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	3. Two: Start Of Something Good

**Author's Note: **

**Thank you to everyone who left a review! I'm so grateful to those who have also decided to follow or favorite this story! Thank you!**

**ALL ERRORS ARE MY OWN:( SORRY! **

**R4L**

* * *

"…_I know it's gonna take some time  
but I've got to admit  
that the thought has crossed my mind  
this might end up like it should  
I'm gonna say what I need to say  
and hope to God that it don't scare you away  
Don't want to be misunderstood  
but I'm starting to believe that  
this could be the start of something good…"_

~ "Start of Something Good" – Daughtry

**Chapter Two: Start of Something Good**

_Wednesday…July 17__th__…_

"Keep your hands steady, Doll," Tig coached as he leaned against the back of the truck they'd taken from TM, "You shake and the bullet ain't gonna fly straight."

Rolling her eyes from behind her aviator sunglasses, Emily couldn't help the resentment that was growing inside. She'd asked Tig to help and he was helping her, she was just being stubborn about the feedback he was giving. A small voice inside her head said that Tig was right and she wanted to scream back at it to shut up. Forcing herself to hold her hands steady, Emily pulled the trigger of the gun and watched as the bullet hit it's intend target for the first time. Tig pushed himself off the side of the truck where he'd been leaning and walked the fifty feet out to the target. Hands on his hips, the biker examined the target before walking back to her.

"Not bad, Doll," he smirked, "Not bad, at all. I'm impressed actually that you're handling the Beretta so well. You wanna explain to me though why the sudden need for a refresher course?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Emily raised the gun again to take another shot. Tig had been right earlier when he'd told her that firing a gun was like riding a bike. A person never forgot how to do either and the many lessons that Emily had years before with Gemma had come flashing back.

"You have some kind of problem?" Tig asked again, "You know, I'll take care of any kind of problem you got, Doll."

"I love you too, Tiggy," Emily teased as she looked over her shoulder at him, "However, I can take care of my own problems. That being said, if I need help, you'll be the first person I call. Fair?"

"You won't call Jax?" Tig teased back, "You know, I'm beginning to think Jax has something goin' on for you."

"I caught him having a threesome a few days ago," she drawled, "He doesn't have the 'hots' for me."

Firing the gun again, Emily couldn't help but smirk when the bullet hit the target again. Tig whooped from behind her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, Doll!"

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Emily and Tig returned to the garage. Her ears were still ringing a little bit, but Emily felt good. She felt confident that she could defend herself if Doug showed up again. Slipping from the cage Tig had borrowed, Emily walked silently to the TM office and stopped seeing Gemma seated there.

"Can you give this to Jax?" Gemma asked quickly as she stood up, "I've got to go talk to Clay."

Dropping her bag down onto her chair, Emily took the paper work Gemma was holding. Turning and walking out of the office and into the bright sun, Emily walked to the car Jax was currently working on. Pushing her sunglasses up to the top of her head, she paused watching him.

"Your mom said I was supposed to give you this," she announced as he looked up at her. Jax took the paperwork she offered and read through it quickly. Watching him, Emily wrapped her arms around herself. It was cooler in the garage and she wanted to leave. Being around Jax was uncomfortable and every time she saw him, her mind replayed the image of him and the two crow eaters together. Jax nodded a few times as he read through the paperwork.

"Tell Gemma that I'll have it done...ASAP," he finally said as he tossed the paperwork on the closest tool box. Relieved that her task was finished, Emily turned away. She barely took a step when she felt a calloused hand wrap around her wrist.

"Hey," Jax said softly holding onto her wrist, "You a'right?"

"I'm fine," Emily shrugged, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're lathered in cover-up…all over."

"I'm fine, Jax."

He looked her over with a critical eye before shaking his head again, "You're lying to me and I don't know why."

"It's none of your business," Emily snapped at him before yanking her wrist back, "I'm fine, Jax."

Turning on her heel, she started to walk away from him. Before she could though, Jax grabbed her arm again and hauled her behind the car he was working out. Out of sight from others, he crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at her.

"None of my business?" he asked, "What the hell are you talking about? It's everyone's business! Jesus Christ, Emily! You're family to everyone in this club and if something is going on—"

"Nothing is going on," she interrupted him, "Nothing is wrong Jax and I don't know why you care so damn much! A week ago you were still balls deep in every pussy you could find. All of a sudden, this week you decide that you're going to show up to work on time and tell me how to take care of my personal business? No fucking way!"

"That's not what I'm doing," Jax defended, "If something is going on—"

"How many times do I have to tell you nothing is going on and nothing is wrong with me?"

"Fine, nothing is going on with you, however, if something is wrong…you know that you can always talk to us? Whatever you need, I'll drop what I'm doing to help you."

Rolling her eyes heavenward, Emily crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.

"Jax…thanks, but no thanks," she sighed, "Honestly, nothing is wrong and I don't need a knight in shining armor. In case you missed the obituary, Prince Charming and his horse died a long time ago. Besides, you never told me why the hell you care. Last week, I was just your mother's goddaughter. This week, I've all of a sudden turned into your favorite person. The question shouldn't be what wrong with me. The question should be what's wrong with you."

Watching her turn on her heel, Jax watched her walk away. Long legs in little flip-flops and Daisy Duke's, it was hard to stay mad at a woman who looked good enough to eat. She was right in saying that until the week before he'd viewed her as nothing more than his mother's goddaughter. Jax couldn't deny that. He also couldn't deny that when she'd found him having a threesome with the crow eaters, something in him had just snapped. Emily might not have known it, but he'd clearly seen disappointment written across her features when she'd found him. Jax was sure he'd disappointed a lot of people, but seeing Emily's face contort into disappointment had left him feeling something he'd never felt before.

It was like someone had walked up behind him and had taken a baseball bat to the back of his head. Jax couldn't explain it, but the night after Emily had found him had been one of the longest nights of his life. He'd found himself thinking about Tara and everything that had happened since she'd left him in Charming. She'd left him a mess and he'd drowned himself in an endless sea of booze, weed and pussy. He'd only cared about the club and anything beyond that, he didn't give a fuck. But that day, hearing Emily tell him that she wasn't going to cover for him…something inside Jax had finally snapped into place. He'd laid away that night thinking on her words and he couldn't deny that he'd abused her kindness on more than one occasion. He'd abused her willingness to help him when he was hurting and he'd abused her goodness when she covered for him at work. The truth was that Tara wasn't coming back and he needed to move on with his own life. He needed to pull himself out the slump he'd put himself into and in order to do that, he needed to make amends to Emily and the others he'd steam rolled over in his attempts to cope with Tara's leaving. Following Emily into the TM office, Jax crossed his arms over his chest.

"At least let me give you a ride home and look at your truck. It's been making a funny noise and everyone here can hear it," he offered as he watched her work.

"Jax, I don't need you to help me," Emily replied without looking up, "Thank you, but no thanks. I have to go talk to your mom and you should go back to work."

"You know, you can call if you need anything or the truck breaks down," Jax reminded her as Emily walked around him, "I'll come get you. No questions asked or anything."

She walked out the office door and left him standing alone in the cramped space. Running his fingers through his hair, Jax let out a heavy breath before leaving the office, intent on doing just what Emily had told him to do.

* * *

Turning down the long dirt drive that led back to her house, Emily gave a sigh of relief seeing the aging farmhouse. From the outside, the house looked like nothing special. A bluish-gray color with white shutters and doors, Emily had long promised herself that she'd have the place painted. However, the longer she lived in the house, the more she'd grown to like the rustic feel of it. While the inside was completely redone, the outside still was the same. The huge screened in front porch that wrapped around the house and the still had creaky floor boards needed fixed. The screen door still needed to be locked so that it wouldn't fly open with the breeze, but Emily loved the house anyways.

Parking her father's old truck and getting out, Emily breathed in the fresh air and locked the truck door behind her. Walking to the door, Emily dug her house keys out of her bag. Finding the keys, she felt fear engulf her heart. The door was cracked open and she knew who was on the other side of the door. There was only one person who could get into her house and she didn't want to see him. Stumbling back towards her car, Emily walked quickly and took her car keys out. Unlocking the door, she managed to get into the truck and close the locked door just as Doug came outside.

"You forgot somethin', sweetheart?" he yelled at her as he stalked to the car. He violently yanked at the locked door and pounded on the glass.

"I won't hurt you, baby," he called, "I promise."

Emptying the contents of her purse on the truck seat next to her, Emily frantically looked for her phone. She doubted Charming PD would get there in time and she doubted they'd really take care of her problem. Grabbing the phone, she dialed Gemma number with shaky hands. On the second ring, Clay picked up and she nearly burst into tears of relief hearing the old man's scratchy voice.

"Clay, it's Emily," she told him tearfully, "I need help…"

She didn't have to say anymore because Clay could clearly hear Doug and his pounding on the other end of the phone.

"Who are you calling, baby?" Doug yelled again, "It better not be the police!"

"I'll send someone," Clay told her quickly, "Just sit tight. If you have to shoot him, don't be afraid to pull the trigger. I know Gemma gave you a gun."

Not saying another word, Emily ended the call and scooted as far away from Doug as she could in the truck. His banging never stopped and his threats became more and more violent. Emily closed her eyes and hugged her knees to her chest as she tried to control her breathing.

Just as she was about to lose it, the blur of black startled her. Scrambling out of the car, Emily opened the door and stood in shock at seeing Jax.

"You think this is funny?" Jax shouted at Doug, "I sure as hell know that she's told you to stop and this is your last goddamned warning. You leave Emily alone or next time I'll find you a nice, cozy spot in the ground."

Doug just smirked at Jax, "So, you wanna bang her, too?"

Jax turned Doug around so quickly that Emily jumped when she heard the sound of Doug's face being slammed into the hood of her truck. The violence startled her and somehow, she found her voice.

"Jax!" she called shakily, "Don't hurt him."

He ignored her and only slammed Doug's face into the hood one more time.

"Jax!" Emily called again feeling desperate. She wanted Doug to leave her alone, but she didn't want Jax to kill him. Just as Doug's body went limp, Emily rushed forward and grabbed Jax's forearm. Blue eyes met hers and in an instant, Jax let go of Doug. The other man's body slumped down to the ground. A groan was heard and Jax gave him a swift kick in the stomach.

"Get out of here," he growled, "If I ever hear or see you in anyway harassing Emily, I will kill you. Make no mistake about that."

Jax didn't wait for a response as he walked towards his bike. Emily nearly had to jog to keep up with him, but she followed him none the less.

"Are you leaving?" she asked as Jax came to an abrupt halt and opened one of his side bags. Jax grabbed plastic bag and held it up to her.

"New locks for your doors," he replied, "Hopefully that will keep this dumbass out."

Jax turned and started walking back towards her house. Not wanting to be left alone with Doug, even if he was beaten to a pulp, Emily followed quickly.

It was strange for Emily to see Jax in her house. He'd slipped his cut off and somehow, Emily felt like he just fit in well with everything around him. He'd changed all the locks on her doors and was working on a few other things that he'd found less than satisfactory. The leaky faucet in her bathroom was one of them and her broken back screen door also had caught his interest. Opening the back door to the screen porch, Emily watched Jax work. The night was humid and Jax had done away with his shirt. It wasn't hard to understand why the whores around the club house like Jax. He was tall and his broad shoulders easily stirred desire inside Emily's body. She'd never cared for long hair but something about Jax's shoulder length hair begged to be touched. It wasn't hard to imagine running her fingers through his long locks. Shaking her head, Emily tried to push any inappropriate thoughts out of her head as she stepped out on the porch. Jax heard her walking to him and looked up. The gentle smile on his face made her stomach do flips as she tried to smile back.

"I, uh, ordered some pizza," she said quickly, "I wasn't sure if you'd eaten yet..."

"I'm starving," Jax smiled.

"I got cheese…I hope that's alright. I wasn't sure what kind to get. I figured I'd just go with the basics. I've got pepperoni in my kitchen if you want to add some," she continued nervously as she stuck her hand in her back pockets of her Daisy Duke's, "Oh, before I forget…how much do I owe you for the locks? You've been working really hard and I can't let you go without paying you for all your help."

Jax's smile only got wider as she rambled on. Stopping, Emily held her breath as Jax stood up straight. He easily towered over her slender frame and it was almost intimidating for a moment.

"Well," Jax finally said as he looked around him, "I think that the amount of times you saved my ass from getting chewed out by Gemma for being late to work is payment enough. I think it's safe to say that we're even now."

Before Emily could say anything, the door bell rang. Jax moved faster than she did and Emily rushed after him. Jax opened the door as she grabbed the twenty on the counter she'd taken out to pay the delivery kid with. Going to the door, Emily stopped seeing Jax close the door as he balanced the medium sized pizza she'd ordered on the palm of his hand.

"You paid for it, didn't you?" she sighed.

"I don't think I've ever let a girl buy me dinner except my mom," Jax smiled, "I'm not about to break that streak now."

"At least except the twenty for reimbursement," Emily said as she held the bill out to him.

Jax shook his head and walked back to her kitchen, "Nah, you're not gonna to convince me."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Emily followed and took two beers out of the refrigerator. Jax put the pizza box down on the kitchen table and grabbed a chair. Grabbing two plates from the cupboard, Emily joined him and watched as Jax uncapped their beers. Exchanging the beer for a plate, she sat down across from him and grabbed a piece of the pizza from the box.

"So, am I correct to assume that all the bruises you've been trying to cover up are from this guy?" Jax asked as he picked up a piece of pizza. Emily felt her shoulders instantly tense as she paused in picking up her own slice of pizza to eat.

"Well, you just jump right into things, don't you?" she asked him, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she dropped her pizza back down on the plate.

"Seeing you getting hassled outside your car isn't exactly on the list of things I enjoy," Jax said slowly, "How long has this guy been giving you problems? Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Don't act like you care. You just enjoy screwing the brains out of every girl you can get your hands on in a sorry attempt to try and forget Tara," Emily snapped back without thinking, "My problems are not yours so don't even try and act like you give a damn."

Anger briefly crossed Jax's features before he quickly hid it. He stood up abruptly and Emily closed her eyes. She wasn't sure what Jax would do. Screaming and yelling were possibilities, but Emily knew Jax wouldn't hit her or hurt her in away way. He might look tough, but she knew he'd never hurt a woman. It just wasn't in his nature. Opening her eyes, Emily stared at him as he leaned heavily against her counter. Her words had hurt him deeply and it was the last thing she wanted to do. He'd done so much for her and she'd done little to repay his kindness because they both knew that Jax didn't need to change her locks and he didn't need to fix the few things around her house that needed fixing.

"I miss her," Jax admitted after a few moments of silence as he turned around and looked at her, "I, uh, haven't coped well with her leaving my sorry ass. I've used you especially and I'm sorry for that. I used you because I was a fuckin' mess that couldn't even get to work on time."

Staring out into the night and smiling a little at the way the lights from the dock reflected on the lake, Emily shook her head, "I'm sorry she left you. I know that it must hurt, but I'm glad to see that the Jax I remember is still in there. I'm sorry for what I said, too. I don't have a right to judge you or be mean to you about what happened."

Jax chuckled, "That's never stopped you before from saying exactly what you think."

A soft smile came to Emily's lips as she curled her legs under her.

"You'll figure it out," she told him, "Life is too short not to live every moment of it."

"We'll both figure it out," Jax amended as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his broad chest, "Now, what else needs fixed around here?"

* * *

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	4. Three: Barefoot Blue Jean Night

**Author's Note: **

**Thank you to everyone who has left a review! I truly do enjoy hearing from each and everyone of you! Sorry that this chapter is a little late!**

**MATURE CONTENT AHEAD...WARNING...MATURE CONTENT AHEAD...**

**Enjoy!**

**ALL ERRORS ARE MY OWN:( SORRY!**

**R4L**

* * *

"…_Never gonna grow up  
Never gonna slow down  
We were shinin' like lighters in the dark  
In the middle of a rock show  
We were doin' it right  
We were comin' alive  
Yeah, caught in a Southern summer, barefoot, blue jean night…"_

~ "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" – Jake Owen_  
_

**Chapter Three: Blue Jean Night**

**One Month Later…**

_Thursday…August 17__th__…_

"I think it's a bad idea," Jax admitted to Emily as they sat next to each other at the picnic table on the TM lot. Emily rolled her eyes before taking a bite of her sandwich. In the past month, they'd grown closer and Emily couldn't help but smile at the thought. She'd spent more time with him than she did with Gemma and every encounter left her aching for more. It didn't matter if it was her and Jax having a beer on her back dock and laughing or if they were watching a horror movie late at night, every encounter left Emily wanting more. Deep down, she knew what that more was. She'd already started connecting with Jax on an emotional level, but Emily was craving his physical touch too. Gemma had already interrogated her plenty of times in the office, demanding to know if Emily was banging her son, but Emily hadn't lied when she'd said told Gemma that she wasn't. Whatever was happening between her and Jax was quickly tail spinning and Emily doubted either of them could control what was going to happen next. The miserable fuck that Jax had been only weeks ago had been completely replaced by a biker with a tough exterior and a secretly soft interior that he rarely showed to anyone.

"Jen is fine," Emily defended before taking another bite of the sandwich Jax had bought for her, "It's only for a few hour."

"Is Jen still the same psycho bitch I remember from high school?" Jax asked with a raised brow, "If so, you're not going."

"Who died and made you my keeper?" Emily snapped back as she tossed her sandwich down on the table and stood up. Crossing her arms over her chest, Emily stared at him with narrowed eyes. She hadn't expected Jax to be against her going to Lodi with some friends for a party.

"No one is your keeper," Jax sighed, "I'm just telling you that you shouldn't go. I have bad feeling about this party with Jen and trust me when I say that my gut is rarely wrong."

"Well, your gut is wrong about this."

"Jen is a crank addicted whore," he told her bluntly, "In my book, crank addicted whores almost always mean trouble."

"Jen has been in recovery for almost a year," Emily defended.

"Is that the line of bullshit she's been feeding you?" Jax asked looking highly amused at her expense.

"You know what? I don't need your permission to do anything and I don't need for you to tell me what I can and cannot do," she snapped before walking off angrily. Entering the TM office, Emily resisted the urge to slam the door behind her as she slumped down into her desk chair.

Jax wasn't her keeper. Angrily grabbed her bag and jacket, Emily left a note for Gemma telling her that she was taking the afternoon off before leaving the office. She'd been on her own for a long time. She didn't need the little prince of Charming telling her what to do.

* * *

_Saturday…August 19__th__…_

Jax was right and Emily hated to admit that to herself. The party was a complete bust and almost every was doing drugs. Twice she'd been offered Crank or something that came in a dime bag. Letting herself out the backdoor, Emily breathed in clean air with relief. Jen had lied to her about the party and thinking back over the evening, Emily knew she should have seen it coming. Jax had been right that Jen was still the psycho they all knew from high school. Slipping her phone out from her back pocket, Emily went through her contacts until she found Gemma's number.

Even though Jax was right, Emily would rather be damned to hell before she called and asked him for help. Jen and her car were gone from the street leaving Emily stranded. While Chibs and Tig might have taught her a few things about sticking up from one's self, Emily wasn't in the mood to fight off any of the guys at the party should she ask for a ride home. None of the people at the party seemed kind or inviting in anyway and she didn't trust anyone in the house was sober enough to drive let alone walk forward. Dialing Gemma's number, Emily sighed when her godmother picked up on the third ring.

"You had better have good reason for calling me this late on a Saturday," Gemma growled into the phone.

"Oh thank God!" Emily sighed, "I need a ride."

"I thought you were at some party? What happened to going to a party with Jen?"

"Jen is gone and so is her car and I'm pretty sure that if I ask anyone here for a lift my body will be found in a ditch tomorrow morning by the cops."

Gemma let out a long sigh on the other end of the phone, "Where are you at?"

Emily quickly rattled off the address of the house as she looked around her feeling a little nervous as the crowd seemed to increase. Gemma promised that help was on the way and before Emily could ask who was coming, Gemma hung up. Planting herself on steps outside the house, the noise volume on the inside seemed to increase even more if possible.

Silently praying that she'd be able to wait for her ride in peace, Emily knew that had been wishful thinking when an expensive Mercedes Benz pulled up in front of the house. Three guys exited the car and the driver looked at her through expensive designer shades. He let out a low whistle as he approached her and slipped his shades off.

"Now, what do we have here? A little girl all alone?" he sneered, "You looking for some help girl? I'm sure we could give you a lift."

"Don't need one," Emily said trying to be pleasant and calm, "I'm waiting for my ride."

The last thing she wanted to do was offend the jack ass in front of her and cause trouble.

"I'm sure we could keep you company while you're waiting," the rich kid said with a smile that made Emily's skin crawl, "How does that sound?"

Quickly standing and grabbing her lightweight jacket, Emily stepped around the kid as quickly as she could.

"Thanks for the offer, but no thanks," she murmured as she slipped her coat on. Speed wasn't on her side because the minute she'd taken three steps, a strong hand grabbed her upper arm and squeezed hard. Nearly crying out from the pain, Emily swung around and looked into the cold, angry eyes of the guy she'd been trying to let down gently.

"You sure you wanna tell me that you don't want company?" he demanded through clenched teeth.

"Yes," Emily snapped as she tried to pry his fingers off her arm, "I don't want your company and my answer to your disgusting offer is still no."

His fingers dug into her arm more and she was sure there would be a bruise there later. Just when she was about to start screaming for help, the familiar sound of motorcycle engine met her ears. Relief came pouring out of her as Jax pulled up and parked his bike. He'd barely had the kickstand down and his helmet off before he was stalking towards the rich kid that was holding her tightly.

"Hey! Dickhead!" Jax yelled loudly, "She told you no! Let go of her now!"

"What are you gonna do about it?" the kid sneered back before loosening his grip on her arm. In a flash, Jax held the kid by the collar of his shirt and pinned him back against the hood of expensive Mercedes Benz.

"You really wanna play that game with me?" Jax growled, "You really wanna fuck with me?"

The kid hadn't been expecting it. Emily knew that much was obvious from how wide his eyes had gone. Jax could be sweet most of the time, but piss him off and he could be downright scary. She'd only seen him furious on a few occasions, but watching him with the rich kid was something entirely different. There was a whole new level of anger she didn't understand and even he was scaring her a bit.

"N-n-no," the kid mumbled, "We were just looking for a goodtime and we thought maybe she'd be a good fuck."

Jax slammed the kid back against the Mercedes Benz again, "You say anything about that _lady _again and I will rip your goddamned throat out. You treat a woman with respect or you don't touch her at all. Am I clear?"

The kid nodded and the next moment, Emily watched as Jax shoved the kid away from him hard. Stumbling a few steps, the kid found his footing and scrambled towards the driver's door of his expensive car. He gunned the engine and he and his gang of goons were halfway down the street before Jax took two steps towards his bike.

"Thank-"

"Let's get the hell out of here," Jax growled at her as he gave her his helmet, "You sober enough to ride?"

Not bothering to fight him, Emily slipped the helmet on as Jax slipped on his bike and started the engine. Getting on and wrapping her arms around his waist, Emily did her best not to dwell on the lecture Jax was bound to give her when she got home.

The ride back to Charming went by without any problem. No one seemed to be out on the road and Jax pulled down her hidden drive with ease. He came to a stop outside her house and killed his engine. Slipping the helmet off her head, Emily offered it to him. Jax took it and hung it from one of his handlebars. The night was still warm and she could feel the soft breeze caressing her skin. She nearly stumbled from taking a few steps. Jax caught her and shook his head.

"How much have you had to drink?"

"A few," Emily defended, "I'm not drunk if that's what you're asking."

Opening the back door to her house, Jax guided her in. Emily watched him lock the door before he turned and looked at her with a mixture of anger, annoyance and another emotion that she couldn't quite identify. He took out his carton of cigarettes and quickly lit one up.

"I'm sorry about Thursday," she finally said with a sigh, "I should have listened to you and I'm sorry."

Jax snorted and took a drag off of the cigarette. Anger filled Emily's veins as she stared at the outlaw biker. He was going to give her the silent treatment after she'd apologized? Fuck him. Going to her kitchen, Emily pulled out a bottle of hard liquor out her cabinet under the sink and poured herself a shot. If he wanted to be a jackass and not accept her apology, it was his fuckin' problem. She had already had a few drinks and the way she was feeling at that moment, she didn't care what he thought. Getting drunk sounded better than anything else. Tipping the shot back with ease, she downed at least three more shots before Jax took the bottle away from her.

His lips crushed into hers and Emily felt a heat bloom deep between her legs. It had been so long since she'd had a man with her that she didn't stop herself from wrapping her arms around Jax's neck. She wanted him desperately and she wanted to feel the pleasure from his touch. It was something she'd wanted for weeks now and his lips never left hers as they stumbled up the steps together. It was a miracle that they even found her bedroom. Their clothing flew in different directions and in an instant; Emily had dropped to her knees in front of Jax. There was no going back now and Emily was highly conscious of the fact that she didn't want to go back. She wanted Jax and she was going to get what she wanted. There was nothing on Earth that could have stopped her from taking Jax Teller in that moment.

"Fuck, darlin'," he breathed as her lips wrapped around his cock. Emily hummed as she looked up at him. With each bob of her head, Jax's fingers clutched her hair and just when she was sure he would explode, Jax pulled himself away from her. Panting, he pulled her up and shoved her towards the bed. He didn't say a word as his hands slid down her waist and crept slowly up her sides with soft feather touches that lift goose bumps on her skin.

She shivered, reveling in the warmth and electric feeling his fingers brought to her flesh. Her breath caught when his fingers stopped just below her tingling, aching breasts. She wanted to scream at him to keep going, but her voice was lost somewhere inside. The feeling he was creating in her was like a hurricane and she couldn't focus enough to speak. Jax's soft lips found her shoulder and Emily knew there was no turning back even if she wanted to. His lips went sliding along the length of her shoulder with a mixture of light kisses and gentle nips until they reached the base of her throat. His tongue caressed her skin as his hands inched upward to capture her breasts at a tantalizingly slow pace.

A moan escaped Emily's lips as she closed her eyes when his hands touched her aching breasts and heavy nipples. Caving in and letting the pleasure of the sensations he created in her body take over, Emily let the rest of the world pass her by as she felt only him. Jax's hands slowly worked her soft tits. Stroking their fullness and driving Emily so close to the edge of passion and insanity that she found herself fisting the bed sheets beneath her. His left hand drifted down her tone belly, his fingertips stopping slit of her pussy while his lips climbed up along her throat.

Pressing a soft kiss to her ear he whispered into it, "Open your eyes, Emily. I want you to watch this. Open up for me, babe. Let me touch you."

Emily opened her eyes and the sight of his hands on her naked body sent a surge of electrical excitement racing through her hot body. She watched his fingers dip lower, easing between the soft lips of her wet, hot pussy. The anticipation nearly made her come as Emily opened her legs more so his long fingers could slip in between her. That first touch was like nothing she had ever experienced before as he rubbed over her silky wet folds. He teased at first, and then tormented her as she burned to feel them drive into her. She wanted him to fuck her hard and long. She ached to feel him inside her, bringing her to heights of passion she didn't even know existed.

"Jax…please," she begged. Her body was trembling with its need for fulfillment and she wasn't sure she could take any more of his torturous teasing.

"Is this what you want?" he asked with a sexy grin as his right hand grabbed at her nipple while his left found her swollen clit and rubbed hard. Emily's body jerked and she cried out as Jax increased the pressure on her clit. She was so close, too close. He began to rub his thumb over her again and again with added pressure as his other hand slipped down her body and circled her wet opening. Jax plunged two fingers up inside her as he continued to rub her clit furiously. She immediately tightened around him and nearly blacked out from the pleasure she felt.

"That's it, darlin'," Jax murmured in her ear as she grasped the sheets like they were her only lifeline in the violent ocean of pleasure she was floating in. He felt her relax against him and he slowly eased his fingers out, "Come for me, babe."

He thrust his two finger back inside her deeply and wasn't gentle about it like he'd been the first time. As he roughly drove into her over and over again, Emily moaned and didn't try to even stop herself from falling over the cliff and losing control. The sound of Jax's heavy breathing in her ear, the thrill of watching him, the feeling of his hard cock against her thigh…

Emily chanted his name like a prayer as she came. Delicious spasms of extreme pleasure rolled through her body, wave after wave as Jax continued. He didn't stop until she nearly passed out from the pleasure again, still panting his name like a prayer. The hurricane in her body slowed down and her body relaxed against his, but it left her wanting more. She'd barely had a chance to recover before he was on top of her, kissing her softly at first, keeping his passion in check, but Emily was too far gone to car about anything else than feeling that intense pleasure again. She wanted to know what it was like when they both were experiencing it. But Jax proved he was still very much in control. He didn't let their kisses get too far out of control. Instead, he let each kiss build gradually in its intensity until she couldn't hold on anymore.

The feeling his hard cock pressed against her stomach only ignited more passion inside her. Jax balanced himself above her and Emily started pressing kisses along his neck and chest while one hand snaked down to grasp his hard, hot cock in her hand.

"Jesus, darlin'," Jax groaned as his head fell forward and rested next to her head on the mattress. He watched as she stroked him and he knew if he didn't stop her he would be spilling into her hand. He tried to think of something else, anything, but that just made it more impossible to ignore how hot his body was and how hard he was for Emily. Never had his body been like this around a woman and just as he was about to lose it, Jax jerked himself away from Emily again and grasped her hips. He flipped her over and tried to not come all over the sheets like a teenage boy.

"On your knees, darlin'," he grunted and Emily grabbed a pillow close to her, "Just like that."

Kneeling, she hugged the pillow to her form as she looked over her shoulder at him with lust filled eyes as her own hand slipped between her legs and rubbed her hot pussy. The image of Emily on her knees and touching herself was dangerously testing his control. His cock was as hard as a pistol when he thrust into her a moment later. He pushed in hard and deep without a second thought. All he could think about was how good she felt around him.

They both moaned in mixture of pleasure and relief as Jax pounded into her. Quickly, they found a rhythm and Jax's hands tightened around her hips and he guided their bodies together over and over again. The tension built within her body again as she milked his cock hard and Jax fought to hold on. He didn't want the pleasure to end as he drove his throbbing cock into her hot, dripping wet pussy again and again. He could feel her body tightened again like it had earlier and Emily began to moan his name. Just as he was almost certain he was going to explode, Emily came. Her muscles contracted around him and he didn't stand a chance as he let go, pouring himself into her until his body was spent. Wave after wave of pleasure hit him hard and Jax wasn't sure he'd ever felt the intensity he was experiencing before. Collapsing back onto the bed beside Emily, he willed his heartbeat to slow down as it pounded in his chest.

* * *

_Sunday…August 20__th__… _

The first thing Jax was aware of when he awoke was the feeling of a soft body next to him. Lying on his side, a riot of soft, wavy curls greeted his sight and the heavy, soft weight of a breast in his hand made him grow hard instantly. It was only when Jax went to press a kiss against her shoulder, did he become fully awake. Looking down at a sleeping Emily, he swore silently to him.

For the first time in his life, Jax felt guilty about having sex. Emily was his mother's goddaughter and it felt like so right and yet, so wrong. She'd been drinking the night before and it easily could have impaired her judgment. He'd had plenty of drunken encounters with women, but they were always either sober or as drunk as he was. Never before in his whole life had he ever felt like he'd taken advantage of a woman like he did in that moment. He'd slept with his mother's goddaughter who hadn't been sober in anyway.

Extracting himself from the bed as quietly as he could, Jax knew that it was late in the morning judging by the amount of sunlight filtering through the large bay widow in the bedroom. Quickly finding his pants and boxers on the light hardwood floor, he slipped them on with ease as he glanced around the room looking for his cut and shirt. He barely registered the soft colored walls or the furniture. Spotting the white SAMCRO t-shirt he'd been wearing the night before laying on the chest at the foot of Emily's bed, Jax grabbed it and slipped it on. His cut wasn't too far from it on the ground.

Grabbing it and putting it on as well, Jax looked at figure sleeping in the bed. Going back to her side and pulling the covers up over her frame to prevent any chill, Jax pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He didn't want to be around when she woke up and see the horror written all over her face for what had happened between them. Emily wasn't the one night stand kind of girl and Jax knew he wasn't able to give her what she wanted. Hell, he didn't even know what he wanted, but he knew that it wasn't anything he could give her. They were supposed to be friends and friends didn't have sex with each other.

Forcing himself to leave, Jax took one last look over his shoulder at Emily's sleeping form before he quietly closed her bedroom door behind her. All he wanted to do was strip back down and climb into bed with her and go another round with her. He'd never had such a good time in his life. Cuddling wasn't something he'd ever done, but cuddling with Emily last night after everything that had happened had felt so right. At the same time, Jax wished he'd never come inside with her the night before. Never had he felt so guilty or conflicted over a woman and sex. Tara hadn't ever made him feel the way he was feeling. Sneaking out the porch door and making sure the front door was locked behind him, Jax put his sunglasses on before starting up his bike.

He had feelings for Emily, Jax couldn't deny that. However, he knew that he'd just ruined any shot at having a decent relationship with Emily by leaving. What had happened the night before had left him more conflicted and confused about the woman sleeping inside. He didn't know what he wanted anymore and the only thing he'd accomplish in the end was hurting Emily like he'd hurt Tara. It was what he was good at...hurting people he cared about. After everything Emily had gone through, she didn't deserve to be hurt anymore.

* * *

Warm and comfortable, Emily felt herself rudely awoken by the sound of motorcycle. Groggily opening her eyes, she looked around her empty bedroom and swallowed her disappointment as best she could. Standing up, she crept to the bay window in her bedroom and watched Jax's figure disappearing down her drive.

Grabbing her silk robe, Emily tried to reason to herself that something had come up and he'd left in a hurry, but the voice in her head wouldn't cooperate. It reasoned that maybe Jax was just done with her. He'd snuggled up to her and now that he'd gotten to have his slice of the pie, he was done. Refusing to believe the logical conclusion, Emily walked quickly to her bathroom and turned the shower on.

Standing beneath the nearly burning jets of water, she told herself not to panic. Tomorrow was Monday and she'd just talk to him then. Quickly washing her hair and body and setting a record time for a quick shower, Emily quickly dried herself and dressed in nothing but a pair of Daisy Duke's and a tank top. It was almost the end of August, but it didn't mean that the heat in California had lessened any. Pinning her hair up in a messy bun and throwing some light makeup on, Emily made it her mission to find a good cup of coffee. She wasn't hung over from the night before and yes, she'd had a few shots with Jax, but that hadn't made her hung over nor had it made her drunk…maybe a little tipsy, but not drunk.

Walking into the kitchen that Emily knew was the envy of many women in Charming, she quickly set to work making herself eggs for breakfast and a hot cup of coffee. Before she could sit down and eat, her cell phone rang. Grabbing the charging phone, Emily winced seeing Gemma's number flash on the screen. Telling herself to play it cool, Emily hit the answer button and pressed the phone to her ear.

"It's about time you answered," Gemma snapped over the phone, "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about today."

"Spa day," Emily murmured as she slapped her forehead, "No, I didn't forget. You said you'd pick me up for noon right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in ten minutes and you better have details for me about why my son had to drive up to Lodi last night to save your skinny ass, darlin'," Gemma drawled back, "You know he can't resist a damsel in distress."

"Oh, I know," she breathed, "I'll tell you all about it. See you soon."

Disconnecting the call, Emily felt as if her cheeks were on fire as she turned and looked at her food. Jax was indeed a sucker for damsels in distress, but she was a sucker for a bad boy and Jax was the perfect bad boy biker with a heart of gold. Tossing her eggs out, Emily left her coffee on the table as she turned and raced back up the stairs to her bedroom. Quickly changing into dark skinny jeans and strappy heels, she finished the last touches on her hair just as Gemma's car pulled into the drive. Grabbing the designer purse that had been a birthday present from Luann, Emily quickly left the house and made sure she locked the door behind her. Seeing that Luann was in the passenger seat, she opened the back door and slipped in.

"We saw the most interesting thing on our way over here," Luann said the minute Emily buckled her seat belt.

"What was that?" Emily asked with a sinking feeling.

"Jax," Gemma replied with a grin, "He looked like he was coming from somewhere. I don't know where he'd been, but he was still wearing what he'd been wearing yesterday."

Both Gemma and Luann stared at her with grins that made Emily feel like she was about to be ganged up on for the afternoon.

"Maybe he was on his way home from a friend's house," she finally said after a moment with a shrug.

Luann and Gemma's eyes went wide before they turned and looked at each other with grins. Gemma put her Caddy in drive and pulled away from Emily's house.

"Of course, baby," Gemma murmured as she looked at Emily in the rearview mirror before turning out of the drive onto the main road, "He was just coming home from visiting a friend."

Emily resisted the urge to let out a sigh and relax. If she did, Gemma would know exactly what had happened and she and Luann would pounce on her. There would never be a moment of peace as would Luann demanded answers and would Gemma schemed. Tuning out the chatter of Luann and Gemma, Emily looked out the window as Charming passed by them. A spa day at a new spa was what Gemma had invited her to, but Emily wasn't sure any spa could workout the tension in her body quite like Jax probably could. Closing her eyes, Emily could remember the feeling of his hands on her body. Her breast tingled as she thought about the way Jax's lips had tailed down her neck. Just thinking about Jax's kisses made her body ache in a way that she'd never felt. Opening her eyes, Emily looked out at the cars on the highway. She wanted to curse Jax for leaving her alone in bed. He'd left her frustrated and she was sure he was the only one able to cure what she was feeling.

* * *

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	5. Four: Together

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you to all who have left a review! I can't believe that so many people have started following this story! Over one hundred! I would love to hear from everyone about what they think! Don't be shy! Leave review and let me know what you think of the story so far! I always respond and sometimes, I'll even drop a few hints at what is to come:) **

**Sorry that this one is a little shorter...**

**ALL ERRORS ARE MY OWN:( SORRY!**

**R4L**

* * *

"…_When I'm alone I  
Feel so much better  
And when Im around you  
I don't feel_

_Together  
It doesn't feel right at all  
Together  
Together we've built a wall  
Together  
Holding hands we'll fall  
Hands we'll fall…"_

~ "Together" – Avril Lavigne

**Chapter Four: Together**

_Monday…August 21__st__…_

Emily walked slowly across the lot to where Jax was working on a Lexus. Nervously sticking her hands in the back pockets of the jeans she was wearing. She'd spent most of Sunday evening and the morning trying to figure out what to say to Jax. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to call what had happened between, but something had happened them. They'd become something in the past month and she felt like she was getting to know a side of Jax that he didn't let other people see. It didn't matter if she'd had a few drinks on Saturday or anything else because she'd been at his mercy well before she'd slept with him. She'd wanted to kiss him and touch him well before Saturday night and though it had been hard to admit, Emily knew that she'd had feelings for Jax for a long time. She'd denied it, but that was the reality of the situation. She'd liked him and had wanted him for a long time. It wasn't love, but it was something. She just wasn't sure what to do now. His behavior was sending mixed signals that she couldn't read.

Stopping to stand near Jax and the Lexus, Emily wasn't sure what to say as she watched him. He was still as handsome as ever and just looking at him made her tummy flip. His work uniform was dirty with grease on the front, but it didn't matter. She knew what lay beneath that uniform and the idea of even getting to touch him again and explore his well endowed person left her feeling light headed. The speech she'd been going over in her head faded leaving her with nothing to say as she watched him wipe some sweat off his brow.

"You need somethin'?" Jax said sharply as he looked at her, "I'm busy and you're in the way."

His tone of voice nearly made her flinch, but Emily swallowed and cleared her throat, "You left so quick on Sunday…we didn't get a chance to talk."

Jax ignored her for a moment as he moved around the car and gathered the tools he needed to continue fixing whatever the problem was. He continued to ignore her and it brought a frown to Emily's lips.

"Did I do something?" she asked a moment later, "Did I say something I shouldn't have? Did I act in a way I shouldn't have? Should I have called you Sunday? What's wrong?"

Jax looked like he was about to throw the wrench in his hand as he leaned over the car engine. He let out deep breath and Emily knew that a pissed off biker was something to run away from. Strange enough, she trusted that he wasn't going to throw the wrench at her or anything. Jax wasn't like that. He wasn't like other men she knew. With him, she would always be physically safe. The safety of her emotions and panties could be a whole different story. When it came to Jax, Emily was sure that there was very little she could and would probably deny him if he asked her.

"What's there to talk about?" Jax asked her sourly as he tossed his wrench aside and reached for a rag to clean his hands off with, "We both made some fucked up decisions Saturday night and you were drinking."

"Jax, I wasn't that—"

"Besides," he interrupted her angrily, "I left you in bed asleep. Wasn't that clear enough to you that I don't want to talk about what happened? Just forget it happened. It was nothing. We had sex, end of story. Nothing else is gonna happen beyond that and if you're here looking for something more like I think you are, get lost."

It felt like he'd taken the wind out of her sails as Emily watched him go back to work on the car engine like nothing had just happened. For the first time in a long time, she wasn't sure what to do or say. Opening and closing her mouth, trying to come up with something to say, she tried not to flinch at his words as they repeated themselves in her head.

"You don't even have the right kind of shoes on," Jax suddenly snapped as they both looked down at the little black ballet flats that covered her feet, "Go! Get the hell out of here before you lose a goddamned toe because of your stupidity."

Not saying anything back, Emily quickly turned away and walked towards the clubhouse. Both Tig and Chibs had heard the ending of her spat with Jax and she felt relief that they didn't know she'd slept with Jax. She could feel the redness of humiliation at Jax's reprimand creeping up her neck as she walked quickly.

"Doll," Tig called as he tried to grab her arm, "What's wrong? Talk to Tiggy."

Tears stung her vision, but Emily refused to let them fall. She wasn't going to give Jax the satisfaction of knowing his words got to her. Barely paying attention to where she was going, Emily felt herself practically walk into a wall and fall down. Before she knew what had happened, she was on the ground with bleeding and scrapped palms.

"Watch where the fuck you're going!" Tig yelled as someone grabbed her arms and helped her up, "Jesus Christ!"

Looking up, Emily saw the young man Tig was going off at like a lunatic. He was a hang around and she didn't know his name. She did, however, feel a twinge of sympathy. Tig was like a madman on his good days and when it came to Luann, Gemma and her…Tig could become a downright homicidal maniac if something happened to one of his favorite girls. Turning back and looking at Chibs as he watched her closely, Emily held her palms up for him to see.

"I'm okay," she murmured as he helped her up, "I just cut my hands. Thanks for your help."

Not bothering to let Chibs look her over like he probably wanted, Emily ducked into the office where Gemma stood looking out the window with interest as Tig continued to rip the hang around a new asshole.

"What happened between you and Jax?" Gemma asked as she looked over her shoulder at her. Emily shrugged and sat down at the desk.

"Nothing," she murmured to Gemma, "Jax is in a mood. That's all."

Not bothering to say anything else, Emily grabbed her purse from the desk drawer and stood up, "I'm gonna go get some lunch. I'll be back in an hour."

Leaving the office without another word, Emily walked quickly across the lot towards her car. She could feel eyes on her as she left, but she didn't care. She felt like an idiot to think that one night of sex could change things between her and Jax. She'd honestly thought that he'd had some feelings for her, but Emily confessed to herself that she'd only been seeing what she wanted to see.

* * *

_Friday…August 25__th__…_

Jax took a deep breath as he watched her. It was late in the afternoon and she'd ignored him all week. He didn't blame her though, if anything, Jax blamed himself. He'd been a dick to her on Monday and he'd gotten what he'd been aiming for. Emily had left him alone, but he'd also been cruel to her. Telling her that nothing had happened between them and that she should forget was wrong. The only reason he knew that Emily hadn't told anyone about sleeping with him was because no one had put their foot up his ass. If Gemma knew exactly what he'd said to her goddaughter, Jax was sure that it didn't matter that he was her son. Gemma would have torn him a new asshole for even treating a girl the way he'd treated Emily. He'd treated crow eaters and sweet butts better than the way he'd swiftly dismissed Emily.

The only thing that was going to make him feel better was a lot of alcohol and something to soothe his pain. Stepping into the office, Jax dropped his clipboard full of paperwork down into the correct slot and slipped back out of the office without a word. He kept trying to tell himself that he'd done the right thing by ending things with Emily before they had even started, but he still wanted her. He'd tasted that soft, creamy valley between her breasts and he wanted to taste more of her. He wanted to know every little thing that drove her crazy in bed and he wanted to know just how high he could get her from the sheer pleasure of being together.

Stepping out into the hot sun, Jax quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head. He'd made his decision to burn bridges with Emily and he had to keep up the wall he'd built. His arguments about why he couldn't pursue her sounded weak even to his own ears. The fact that she was Gemma's goddaughter was irrelevant. In fact, Jax was pretty sure that if he had decided to go after Emily, Gemma would have been his biggest supporter. The fact that they'd had sex was irrelevant as well. If he'd been reading Emily right, she'd wanted him for much longer than just one night. Everything that she'd done unconsciously had told him that she'd wanted him.

There was a good chance that he'd hurt her in the end if things go to far. He'd hurt Tara by not leaving the club for her and she'd claimed that he'd broken her heart by not leaving Charming with him. He knew Emily wouldn't put him in such a position. The club was in her blood as much as it was in his, but he could still hurt her like he had hurt Tara. It seemed to be his pattern…hurting the women he cared about. After the heartbreak and hurt he'd experienced with Tara's leaving, Jax wasn't even sure he wanted to risk feeling those feelings again should shit go sideways with Emily.

No, things would be far better if he stayed away from Emily. Not getting involved with her was one of the best ideas he'd had and even though he'd slept with her, Jax wasn't going to do it again. She left him a twisted and confused mess and it was the last thing he wanted to be. Emily could take him and turn him inside out with just one look. Being with her was a mistake that Jax wasn't willing to make and he knew deep down that despite all his vows and promises to himself to stay away, he still wanted Emily.

* * *

Standing in the corner behind the bar, Emily watched as the prospect, Juice, stood and dispensed drinks out. Chain smoking had never been her thing, but she didn't give a shit about her health in that moment. The party was in full swing with some visiting Sons from the nomad charter in town. Luann's girls and the croweaters were in entertainment mode as they made their rounds.

All of the old ladies had gone home, but Emily wasn't sure why she was sticking around. Usually, she avoided Friday night parties like they were a plague. She wasn't interested in seeing all the nude girls and she wasn't interested in the debauchery that took place as the night wore on. Lighting up another cigarette, her eyes met Juice's as he set a shot of whiskey down in front of her.

"You look like you could use one," he said with a gentle smile.

"I learned a long time ago that drinking over men is a bad habit to have," Emily drawled as she picked up the shot, "However, rules are made to be broken."

She tipped back the alcohol without second thought and the burn down her throat felt good. Turning the shot glass upside down, she slammed it down in front of Piney who was also well on his way through his own bottle of liquor.

"Don't start bitchin' about your man problems to me. It ain't my area of advice."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Emily snarked back to the drunken old man as she leaned against the bar. A flash of blond caught her eye and she watched as Jax talked up a woman she'd never seen before. Tall, with blonde hair, the woman was exactly the type that Jax went for. Her long legs were shown off by stiletto heels and a short black mini dress that barely covered her ass and generous tits. Looking at the curvy girl, Emily couldn't help but feel her resentment and anger towards Jax grow.

"Who the hell is she?" she asked Juice as Jax whispered in the blonde's ear.

"Lana," he supplied, "She's some new girl. Just met her tonight and you can't deny that she's hot. Jax is one lucky man."

The mere mention of Jax being lucky sent a pulse of rage through Emily's veins and she quickly put the carton of cigarettes down before she crushed them. She knew what Jax was whispering about and sure enough, the blonde nodded and both of them snuck away from the main room towards the dorm rooms.

"Jax certainly is a lucky man," Emily sneered at Juice as she watched them go, "Isn't he?"

Not saying another word, she walked away from the bar. Fighting her way through the crowded clubhouse was difficult, but Emily made it outside. Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, she walked towards her car. The only sound was pulsing bass coming from the clubhouse and the soft clicking of her heels on the cement. Climbing into her old truck, the familiar hum was comforting and Emily tore out of the lot without a second glance behind her. The anger that she'd done her best to keep bottled up inside all week was bubbling to the top and she wasn't sure how she got home. She slammed her car door hard enough to crack the glass. Not caring, Emily stalked up the steps to the back porch and opened the screen door. Pausing, she quickly kicked the door a few times until the small pin Jax had put in to fix the door came off. Slamming the door behind her, Emily still didn't feel satisfied with just breaking the door again.

Tossing her bag and keys on the counter, she didn't hesitate to grab the dish drying next to the sink. Throwing it as hard as she could at the wall, the sound of the smashing plate brought a smile to her lips and a near hysterical laughter from deep down. Opening up her cupboards, Emily began throwing the plates, saucers and cups everywhere. She didn't care that she was destroying her kitchen. It felt good to let out the anger she was feeling and the more dishes she broke the better she felt. For nearly an hour, Emily destroyed every dish, cup and platter she had in her kitchen. Sharp, broken piece littered the floor around her and laughter escaped her lips as she kicked the pieces around her. If someone had walked in at that moment, she probably would have looked crazy. It didn't matter to her, but Emily quickly grabbed her bag and keys again. Going back out to her truck and turning the engine over, she quickly left her house and drove to the one place she'd always felt safe, Gemma's house.

* * *

"You wanna explain to me how the hell you did this?" Gemma growled as Emily sat on her countertop. Her feet were covered in small cuts and scratches from breaking all the dishes and her peep toe pumps hadn't done much to protect her in the end.

"I broke a few dishes," Emily said with a shrug as Luann handed her a glass of wine, "What can I say? I learned how to throw a hissy fit from the best bitches in town."

Emily regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. She'd been fine with just telling Gemma and Luann that she'd broken, but telling them that it had been in a fit of rage had been a mistake. Gemma's eyebrows shot up to her hairline before she narrowed her eyes.

"What kind of thing would induce you to have a hissy fit that would result in you breaking dishes?" she demanded as Luann seconded her thoughts.

Groaning, Emily gulped down the wine as quick as she could before letting out a sigh. There was no hiding her secrets from Gemma and Emily had learned a long time ago that Gemma was like a bloodhound when it came to sniffing out secrets.

"Does this hissy fit have anything to do with Jax? Both of you have been bitchy as hell since Sunday," Luann sighed and Gemma's eyes went wide.

"Oh my God, you slept with him didn't you? You slept with Jax! That's why we saw him Sunday. He was driving away from your house after having—"

"It doesn't matter," Emily snapped at both Luann and Gemma, "Jax doesn't want to have anything to do with me and he doesn't want me. We had sex. That's the end of the story."

"Oh, baby," Gemma chuckled as she put her hands on her hips, "Who the hell are you trying to kid? It's clear as day that you both have feelings for each other. Don't think that no one saw your little lunch time get-togethers. I know my son and he's just being difficult, isn't he?"

"Your son is currently fucking some whore as we speak," Emily countered, "If he was remotely interested in me, he wouldn't have taken some blonde haired, big titted bimbo up to his dorm room."

* * *

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	6. Five: My Happy Ending

**Author's Note: **

**Thank you to everyone who left a reivew! I was so happy that so many people left a review! I'm so glad that so many of you are enjoying the story! Hope you like this chapter! Sorry that it's late!:( **

**All Errors Are My Own:( Sorry!**

**R4L**

* * *

_"…You were all the things I thought I knew  
And I thought we could be  
You were everything, everything  
That I wanted  
We were meant to be, supposed to be  
But we lost it  
All of our memories so close to me  
Just fade away  
All this time you were pretending  
So much for my happy ending…"_

~ "My Happy Ending" – Avril Lavigne_  
_

**Chapter Five: My Happy Ending **

_One Month Later…_

_September 25th…_

Gemma was on a campaign and Emily knew she had the misfortune of being the one that was being targeted. Between Gemma and her sidekick, Luann, they were doing everything they could possible do to throw her and Jax together. The only problem was that Jax had become taken with the new croweater named Lana. Where ever he was, Lana always seemed to be not too far away. The truth was that Emily had given up on convincing Gemma that she didn't want to be with Jax. First, it was a complete lie and they both knew it. Secondly, Jax was making it perfectly clear to her that he was moving on with his life and slowly, but surely, Emily was resolving to move on her life as well.

Just like with a boyfriend, Emily had gone completely through her house and gotten rid of anything that reminded her of Jax including redecorating her whole bedroom. While it helped, it didn't completely wipe the memory of Jax away. At night, her dreams still taunted her with the visions of her and Jax together. Hot, sweaty, naked...

Walking up the steps of Jax's newly bought house, Emily paused on the doorstep. Gemma had sent her over to drop some things off for the house. She and Gemma both knew it was a ploy to get her close to Jax, but Emily felt so defeated that she'd done it without protest. Knocking on the door, she waited for a moment before taking out the key that Gemma had given her and unlocking the front door. The narrow hallway led into a living room that was stacked high with unpacked boxes. Turning towards the kitchen, Emily froze.

A gasp escaped her lips as she watched Lana grip the countertop with white knuckles as Jax fucked her hard from behind. Both of them completely naked, the sight brought a slew of different emotions to the surface including jealous and shock. The one that bubbled over the most sadness at the fact Jax was able to dismiss what had happened between them so easily. Just seeing him fucking Lana senseless was the final nail in the coffin of her anger. She wasn't angry at Jax anymore. No, Emily was angry at herself more than anything for letting her emotions runaway with her. It was just one night of sex with Jax and here she was, acting heartbroken like they'd been together for years. Disgusted at herself, Emily turned and walked out of the house. Leaving the box of nick knacks Gemma wanted her to drop off on the door step, Emily attached a little note to it and rang the door bell. Racing to her car and leaving as quickly as she could, she never looked back to see if Jax came to the door. It was time to move on with her life completely and stop pining for a man who didn't want her back. Picking up the phone, she dialed and waited for Gemma to answer.

"It's done," Emily told her briskly, "I'm going home."

The double meaning wasn't missed on either woman.

* * *

_...Friday...One Week Later..._

Jax had noticed Emily's missing prescience on the lot. Tig and Chibs were both mourning her loss like she had died or something bad had happened to her. Jax knew that some of the hostility he'd been feeling from Tig involved Emily. He didn't know if the SAA had figured out that he'd slept with her or not, but Jax knew that when Emily or Gemma was upset, chances were that Tig was upset as well on their behalf. Walking through the empty lot, Jax didn't care that the party was in full swing at the club house. He truly didn't care. Once he'd been to one party, he'd been to all the parties and he was already starting to get bored. What he wanted more than anything was a person to talk to. He reluctantly admitted that the person he wanted to talk to the most was Emily.

He missed their lunches together. He missed their stimulating conversations together and he missed hearing her laughter. That was always his goal at their lunch. If he could get her to laugh just once, he felt like he'd accomplished a feat with her. Emily wasn't amused easily, but her laughter made him feel like he flying high. Seeing her happy made him happy. It was as simple as that and it was all he wanted in that moment. He didn't need to have sex with her. Just hearing her laughter and her voice was enough to get him high. Walking out to his bike and gunning the engine, Jax roared off. He wasn't sure how long he'd been riding for, but eventually he found himself at Emily's driveway. Her house was cozily tucked back in the woods and Jax liked the privacy her house brought with it. Parking his bike in the shaded darkness of the trees near her drive, he walked the near half mile down her winding driveway to the house. Lit up, the house looked cozy against the large lake that was on her property. Small, decorative strings of lights reflected from the dock onto the lake. For a brief moment in time, Jax could almost see himself coming home to this…to her…

Standing in the shadow, he watched her bring a glass of wine out along with a book. She called into the house for something and briefly, Jax wondered if a man would emerge from inside the house. Instead of a man, a puppy trotted out behind her. Carrying a bone, the little black lab sniffed the air for a moment and paused. Jax held his breath hoping the dog wouldn't see him or smell him. He thought he was far enough away from the house, but he had no real idea. The puppy sniffed the air for a few seconds longer before it was satisfied and moved to chew its bone on the ground in front of the lounge chair Emily was laying in.

For nearly an hour, Jax watched her. With each passing moment, he conceded that he was become more and more pathetic. He was practically stalking a girl that was way too good for him and any shot at ever convincing her to be with him were being smashed to hell with every day that passed. He stood for a few moments longer before returning to his bike and taking off into the darkness.

* * *

_...Tuesday...One Week Later…_

Gemma was pissed. It didn't take much to piss her off, but today she had a short fuse. The conversation she'd had earlier with Emily at the farm house had triggered everything. Stopping by her goddaughter's house, Gemma had been hoping to convince Emily to come into work on her day off to help her in the office. When she'd arrived, the scene she'd come to had been very different than what she'd been expecting.

Boxes had been piled in various rooms. Somethings had been unpacked and other things were being sorted for what looked like a sale. Emily's guilty face had told Gemma all she needed to know about what was happening. The younger woman was packing up her house and leaving. A fight had ensured between them and never had Gemma felt more dissatisfied in her relationship with Emily.

Jax was screwing around with the young girl's head and had been for a while. Gemma wasn't an idiot. She knew that her son and goddaughter had been forming some kind of relationship. She knew that they had also slept together and she'd hoped that maybe that would have sparked a relationship between them. Alas, her son was too stubborn or stupid, Gemma couldn't decide which. All she knew was that Emily was getting restless in Charming and Jax was a big part of the problem. There was nothing that was nailing her ass down in the town and more than once, Gemma had entertained the idea in her head that maybe Jax hadn't used protection. As quickly as the thought had come, she'd dismissed the idea. Yes, she wanted grandchildren, but she wanted Jax married and settled first…preferably with Emily. Slamming another stack of files down on the desk, the only other woman besides Tara Knowles, that was mind fucking her son walked into the room.

"Need help?"

Gemma narrowed her eyes at the blonde with heaving tits and acrylic nails. What her son saw in the skanky bitch, she'd never know. However, Gemma saw through the fake hair, nails and boobs. The little girl was looking for a man to take care of her and it was sickening to see Jax falling prey so easily. She'd always though that she'd taught him well, but Gemma was considering whether or not Jax needed a crash course in Whore Spotting 101...again...

"Not from you," she declared with her hands on her hips, "This is a whore free-zone."

"Excuse me," Lana snapped back as she crossed her arms over her generous chest, "I'm not a whore."

"You are in my book, darlin'," Gemma said as took a menacing step towards Lana, "Do you really think that I don't see what you're trying to do? Seduce Jax with sex…it's a great plan. I'll give you that. What I have a problem with, is you driving my goddaughter away."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. Jax picked me and if I am who he wants to be with…can't you just be happy for your son?"

"I know all about bitches like you," Gemma breathed as she stood taller in her heels, "You think that because they come running to you for sex, they'll be yours. I promise you, all I have to do is spread a few words around and get Jax's ear…you'll be tossed out with the trash."

"Well, I don't see your goddaughter putting up much of a fight for him," Lana said with a sickly sweet smile, "Looks like I won the war easily, Gemma."

In that moment, Gemma saw red. A vision of slamming the smiling bitch's face down into the desk over and over again played on repeat. If it hadn't have been for the arrival of Tig and Jax, Gemma was sure she would have acted on impulse. Clay would have helped her with the body, but it still wouldn't have satisfied her.

"Everything alright in here?" Tig asked as he looked between them cautiously. Lana turned and put an innocent look on her face as she smiled softly at Jax. Gemma could easily see how caught up Jax was in the dumb bitch. He was a sucker for a damsel in distress and whatever story Lana was spinning, Jax was falling for. Gemma just didn't know how hard her son was falling for it.

"We're fine," Gemma snapped at Tig, "I just need to speak to Jax. Alone."

Lana looked over her shoulder and shot her a look. If Jax had been able to see the venom and hatred coming from the young woman, Gemma was sure her problems would have been over. Instead, she was sure that her problems were just beginning. Tig held the door open and Lana silently marched out of the office before he did. Once Gemma heard the soft click of the door closing completely, she rounded on Jax.

"You need to fix what you fucked up," she snapped angrily as Jax raised both his hands in surrender, "Now!"

"I don't know what the hell I did to piss you off," he snapped back sourly, "Jesus!"

"Don't think that I don't know what the hell is going on between you and Emily. You slept with her, didn't you!?"

One look at Jax's guilty face confirmed what Gemma already knew to be true. He threw himself down into the chair closest to him and ran a hand through his hair. He looked stressed and tired. For one moment, Gemma pitied him. A second later, her fight with Emily came racing back into her mind and the anger she'd felt earlier multiplied.

"Emily is going through shit right now," she snapped again, "I'm pretty damn sure that you're the cause of it! I don't know what the hell has gotten into you, Jackson. What I do know is that you need to go out to the farmhouse and fix it! Ever since you and Emily got close, you were like the old you. You were the young man I remember you being before Tara ripped up your heart and trampled on it."

"Ma, it's not that simple," Jax tried to defend as he stood up, "Don't worry about Emily. She's—"

"She's seriously considering moving," Gemma interrupted as she put her hands back on her hips, "If she leaves Charming…she's not coming back, Jax. There is nothing here nailing her ass to the seat in this office."

"She has you."

"She also has you to tell her not to go. Whatever you did that screwed things up…Jax, just go apologize and patch up whatever is wrong. I know Emily and I know that she will forgive you. You just have to be straight and honest with her. I haven't seen you look happy in months, but with Emily…I think you look happy. You look happier than I've seen you in a long time. Why the hell would you let a girl like that walk out of your life and Charming? Jax, I don't understand why. "

Jax ran his fingers through his hair again before he took his carton of cigerettes out and lit one up. Taking a drag, he pinched the bridge of his nose before standing up. Gemma didn't let the hope she felt on the inside show. Jax didn't need her to be soft with him. He needed a swift kick in the ass and Gemma knew that if she didn't give him that kick, no one would.

"Fine," he said after a moment, "I'll talk to her, but I won't make any promises about getting Emily to stay in Charming."

Jax left without another word and Gemma couldn't help the sly grin that came to her face. Getting Jax to talk to Emily was a start. Now, all she had to do was to convince her goddaughter to listen.

* * *

_...Thursday...September 30th…_

The pounding on the front door was aggravating and at the same time, Emily knew that it was someone from SAMCRO. She'd been spending less and less time on the lot and with the guys. Maybe it was because she knew that she'd be leaving eventually or maybe she was avoiding Jax, Emily wasn't sure. All she knew was that Gemma was breathing down her neck about leaving Charming.

Truthfully, Emily wasn't sure herself about leaving. Charming had long since been the only home that she knew and the idea of leaving was something she was comfortable with. Once she'd been able to admit that, Emily had also been able to admit to herself that Jax was playing a major factor in her desire to leave. Seeing him with Lana in the kitchen of his house had been a game changer. It was one thing for Jax to fuck the bitch at the clubhouse, but taking the whore home? That was personal and everything about Jax was confusing her. She'd been so sure that he'd been feeling something for her as well. She'd convinced herself that he'd had some feelings for her. She'd moved on from anger and regret. What she was feeling now could only be described as confusion and shame. She was ashamed of herself for making one night out with Jax to be something more. She felt confused because she could have sworn that he'd felt something too that night.

Had she misread everything from the beginning?

Emily didn't know if she had misread everything. She didn't want to know how or when she'd screwed up. All she knew was that she'd screwed up and just being near Jax made it hard to breathe and function like a normal person. Calling out to the person who was banging on her front door that she was coming, Emily was surprised to see both Chibs and Tig on her front doorstep.

"Hiya, Doll," Tig said as he leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheek. The crazy, blue eyed man walked into her house without another word and looked around.

"Darlin'," Chibs smiled as he too pressed a soft kiss against her cheek, "We hadn't seen much of you and we thought we'd drop by and see how you've been."

Emily could see right through their words. Gemma had sent them and they'd probably been more than willing to come and check on her. Tig and Chibs were the two Sons she was closest with. Both were more like brother figures to her, but Emily knew they'd both help her if she needed it. They wouldn't ask questions, they'd just help her. A pang of sadness filled her chest at the thought of leaving. If she did leave, she'd be leaving behind both Tig and Chibs. Of course, she knew they'd both come visit her. She didn't doubt for a minute they'd come visit her where ever she went, but she wouldn't see them everyday like she did now.

"You movin', Doll," Tig asked as he held onto belt, "That's the rumor I've been hearing at the clubhouse. Gemma has been goin' on and on about it. Is it true?"

"You just jump right in, don't you Tiggy?" Emily sighed as Chibs walked into the house, "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Nope," Tig said with a shake of his head, "Just answers."

Chibs looked around her half packed house and shook his head. Emily couldn't tell if he was shaking his head in disapproval or not.

"I'm…exploring different options," Emily finally said after a few seconds, "I might move into an apartment in LA or I might go to San Diego or San Francisco. I haven't quite decided."

Chibs turned towards her and looked at her hard for a minute, "What brought this decision about?"

"I just want something different," she defended with a shrug, "What's wrong with that?"

"Sounds to me like you're running," the Scotsman said quietly, "The better question? Who are you running from?"

"You can tell us, Doll," Tig added gently, "We'll kick his ass."

Emily looked between the two men. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that all three of them knew exactly who they were talking about. Tig already had a look in his eye that told Emily that Jax would be facing a challenge from both Tig and Chibs in the ring. She didn't doubt for a second that both Tig and Chibs would do their best to beat Jax to a bloody pulp. For a second, Emily considered telling them both that Jax was one of the biggest reasons she was leaving. The next second, she pushed the thought away. As confused and upset as she was in that moment…Emily didn't want to cause Jax any pain. She felt like an etch-a-sketch with her emotions all over the board, but in that chaos and confusion, she knew for sure that she didn't want to hurt Jax.

"It's my decision to leave," Emily said to both men, "I'm choosing to go."

* * *

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